November 5, 2021 4:00 a.m.

The City of Roseburg Community Development Department has begun an effort to expand Roseburg’s bike route system in a plan that may one day allow residents to get anywhere in the city by bicycle – with the Umpqua River Trail being the system’s backbone.

A release said work recently began on the new Bike Routes Plan after the city got the go-ahead from the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. The effort is expected to lead to increased public infrastructure for biking and even a digital, printable map to boost connectivity between Interstate 5, the Umpqua River Trail and most other points in the city.

Community Development Director Stuart Cowie said, “The Umpqua River Trail can be a real gem for the city to be able to showcase the South Umpqua River”. Cowie said in his opinion, the river is one of the best assets the city has. Cowie said, “We’ve got this beautiful river with a multiuse path that runs right along it that’s under-utilized”.

In September of last year, ODOT notified the city that Roseburg was eligible for a roughly $120,000 Transportation Growth Management planning grant, which can be used to help local jurisdictions increase opportunities for walking, bicycling and transit as well as plan streets and land use that will lead to more livable, sustainable and economically vital communities.

Roseburg has entered into a joint contract with ODOT and a Seattle consultant, Parametrix.

Cowie said the consultant has begun the process of mapping existing bike routes and other work in an effort to produce a plan for establishing additional routes and developing other bicycle-related public infrastructure.

The project has a steering committee whose members represent local bicycling advocates. Thrive Umpqua has also been instrumental in encouraging the development of more opportunities and healthy activity.

The release said developing the Bike Routes Plan will allow the Roseburg Public Works Department to apply for more financial grants to pay for stencils, signs and other ways to implement the plan. The plan is expected to be completed in a year and a half from July. Cowie said it should detail smaller improvements that could be made soon and could lead to bigger improvements down the road.

For more information, contact the Community Development Department at 492-6750.